Get Simply Inspired with Sheena Joy’s Wonderful Macrame Patterns + 10 Free Video Tutorials

Simply Inspired is one of my favorite Macrame artists and the perfect teacher to show you how to make beautiful beginner-friendly Macrame projects. I’m so excited I had the chance to talk to Sheena Joy and show you all her beautiful patterns! Check our interview here and discover her 10 best free Macrame tutorials!

Affiliate links may be sprinkled throughout the awesome, free content below. I’ll receive a small commission when you purchase from my (Amazon) links (at no extra cost to you), which I’ll happily spend on more colorful macrame cords!

About Simply Inspired

When you’re searching for Macrame tutorials on Youtube, there’s a big chance you’ve come across one of Simply Inspired’s amazing videos.

From gorgeous wall hangings, plant hangers, and rainbows to beautiful flowers and pixel art projects, self-taught teacher Sheena Joy will show you exactly how to make these wonderful projects with her easy beginner-friendly Macrame tutorials.

I’m so honored I had a chance to talk to one of my favorite online Macrame teachers and ask Sheena Joy tons of questions about her journey into becoming such a talented Macrame artist.

Macrame Featured Teachers

Sheena Joy is one of our Featured Macrame Teachers and we’ll be creating more fun blog posts with her in the future. Make sure to follow us on Instagram, Pinterest, and join our Macrame for Beginners Facebook Group so you don’t miss out!

Meet our talented Macrame Teachers

Meet our amazing Featured Macrame Teachers and discover their best beginner-friendly step-by-step free video tutorials.

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Meet Macrame Teacher Sheena Joy from Simply Inspired

Hi everyone, my name is Sheena Joy (Joy is my middle name), and I live in the Fraser Valley of beautiful British Columbia Canada!

When I’m not working on Macrame I enjoy writing, gardening, and being a Mom to my two wonderful kids. Before having kids I was an RCA nurse which I loved but now my art and children are my everything.

What was your process in becoming a Macrame artist? 

Oh gosh…where do I start? In the early 90s, growing up my Mom had put up an owl wall hanging in our living room. We didn’t have a lot of art on the walls and the ones we did were paintings.

This owl fascinated me, it was different! What was it? Where did it come from? How was it made? So one day I decided to take it apart. I know I know, don’t tell my Mom, but to my surprise, it was made with just knots!

I took this owl apart and tied it back up several times in the hope that my Mom would not notice, but I’m sure she did because she soon bought me a friendship bracelet kit, and off I was making bracelets! I’d sell them to my friends at school and at craft markets. Also, when my friends came over I would try to teach them. 

Then teenage years kicked in and I forgot all about Macrame. I had other art forms I enjoyed at that time and I dabbled in many of them. It’s good to have other experiences.

Fast forward to about 4 years ago when I was looking for an end-of-the-year teacher gift for my son’s kindergarten teacher. She liked receiving handmade gifts and I got word that she LOVED owls.

My Mom’s old Macrame owl was the first thing that popped into mind and that’s exactly what I made. You can see the exact one on my Instagram feed, it was my very first post! 

Soon after that, all the Moms at school were asking me if I could make things for them and it kinda just took off from there. 

What do you love most about Macrame? 

I love how it can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be. Every piece is completely customizable and there is something very humbling knowing that something as basic as a common knot can be transformed into a phenomenal work of art!

Ordinary things can become extraordinary! Not only that, you can create so many different things with Macrame, from small detailed jewelry to a big porch swing. 

What are your favorite projects to create? 

It’s funny you should ask. I LOVE vertical double half hitch patterns, you know…the pixel art type of wall hangings. 

It wasn’t always this way though, I used to dislike these knots. A VDHH pattern can take FOREVER to complete and you have to be well practiced with your tension. All of that can be frustrating if you haven’t practiced this knot. It takes time and patience getting comfortable with this style of wall hanging.

They’re my favourite type of patterns now though because you’re completely free to create the image you want. Just as free as a painter would be.

I’ve made skulls and fluffy bunnies, even a unicorn for which you can braid the mane. If you can pixel an image, you can design anything!

What kind of material/types of cord do you like to work with?

My favorites are 3.35mm single strand cotton cords. You can create many different types of Macrame pieces with this size and type. It creates that lovely straight fringe look that works well for feathers and wall hangings.

However, I encourage everyone to experiment with all types of cord. You may find that you like 3-Ply cotton strands the best, or maybe jute is more your thing. 

Where do you find inspiration for your projects and tutorials?

Everywhere! I’m “Simply Inspired” 🙂

Whether I see a beautiful sunset and think to myself that those colors would be magnificent on a wall hanging or I see a rose and think hmm, I bet I could make a rose knot and add it into my work. Inspiration is everywhere! 

What’s your favorite thing about teaching Macrame on YouTube? 

Oh my gosh, definitely how happy and proud people are when they create something. I LOVE hearing about how they made my pattern and gifted it to someone they love or how learning this new hobby has helped bring them out of a funk. 

It’s rewarding to feel like I’ve made an impact or helped in some small way. 

Do you have a favorite Macrame artist?

I don’t have any one particular favourite but there are many that I follow who all have a special unique way of creative expression.

UnfetteredCo and Kasha’s Craft Creation are two artists who specialize in something that I refer to as “sculptural textile art”. They create beautiful masterpieces in a three-dimensional form and it’s amazing! 

Reform Fibers and Teddy And Wool create very large-scale, yet minimalistic type wall hangings which look like high-end pieces of art that I adore!

And finally, there’s Pixel Macrame and Macrame And Skulls who do really fun vertical double half hitch pieces which I’m partial to in my own work.

What are your best tips for beginners?

Practice your knots! Practice until you are comfortable and then start on small quick projects. And don’t spend a fortune on cords when you are in your learning phase. You will be tying and untying a lot. 

And know this, you have your own unique view and perspective. Your art matters even if you feel like it’s not as good as someone else’s or that it didn’t turn out the way you wanted. Your work will resonate with others.

Can you recommend us your favorite products for beginners? 

RopeShop.ca is my favourite rope company. Their products are 100% natural cotton and manufactured in Canada and they offer really beautiful colors. I actually got to name one of their blue colours! “Azure Sky”.

Where can we find you online?

I invite you to visit my Instagram account Simply Inspired where I share various tutorials, fun reels, and document my Macrame journey. I also love to feature other creators who completed my tutorials so don’t forget to tag me in your beautiful creations!

And of course, I’d love for you all to check out my YouTube channel where I share all my free patterns and tutorials. Right now I’m doing a series on Macrame flowers and started off with some beautiful Lavender!

Here are some of my favorite pieces and tutorials:

#1 Vintage-Style Macrame Plant Hanger – Simply Inspired

This beautiful vintage-style Macrame plant hanger is my most popular tutorial. Everyone loves the crown knot at the bottom and in this video I show you exactly how to make it yourself.

#2 Easy Rose Knot – Simply Inspired

I’m VERY proud of this tutorial because I’m the original inventor of the Rose Knot! It’s more secure than the other Rose Knots out there that solely rely on twisting the rope.

Plus, my easy Rose Knot can be worked into any wall hanging because you don’t have to attach it as a separate piece. Watch this video to learn how to make my easy Rose Knot!

#3 Rose Knot Macrame Wall Hanging – Simply Inspired

Once you’ve learned how to make my Rose Knot, this super cute Rose Knot wall hanging should be next on your project list. Watch this video to discover how easy it is to make one yourself!

#4 Macrame Kitchen Curtain – Simply Inspired

This Macrame Kitchen Curtain is one of my favorite projects I’ve worked on and found a great spot in in my kitchen window. Watch this video to learn how to make your own Macrame kitchen curtain!

#5 Macrame Diamond Plant Hanger – Simply Inspired

This Macrame diamond plant hanger is one of my favorites. The beautiful details on this one are stunning and will make your pretty plants stand out even more! 

#6 Macrame Unicorn Wall Hanging – Simply Inspired

My daughter is OBSESSED with unicorns so I made her this beautiful Unicorn wall hanging for her birthday. If you’re looking for a fun tutorial and make this cute gift yourself, make sure to watch this video!

#7 Fluffy Bunny Macrame Wall Hanging – Simply Inspired

One day I came across the most amazing type of yarn…faux fur! It was so tactile and with Spring and Easter approaching my first thought was to make this bunny. I’m glad I did! Watch this video to learn how to make your own fluffy bunny!

#8 Easy Macrame Pod Planter – Simply Inspired

This Macrame Pod Planter is another popular tutorial I’ve created and it’s super easy to recreate. Follow the steps in this beginner-friendly tutorial to knot your own!

#9 Macrame Hanging Shelf – Simply Inspired

This simple Macrame Hanging shelf is from my “Pretty Witchin” Halloween series and I feel it doesn’t get enough appreciation. The wood I used was from old wine barrels that my friend found for me when she did a wine tour.

My Halloween series counts 7 fun videos where I tell a spooky tale mixed in with my tutorials….and yup, I’m not an actress, it is a bit cringe-y haha BUT I had fun and I got to work with several other artists in the series.

One painted my spellbook, another created ALL the music (how cool is that?) and I had a popular award-winning blogger do the voice acting. It was a lot of fun and a bit different from my other tutorials, so if you like spooky and Macrame come check it out.

#10 Macrame Lavender Flower – Simply Inspired

This Macrame Lavender tutorial is the first video in my Macrame flower series. If you have more Macrame flower suggestions, please leave a comment in my video!

Bonus Video: Macrame Heart Letter Holder

We love this video by Sheena Joy so much we had to include it in this blog post! It makes for the perfect gift and is super fun to work on. Check this amazing tutorial and learn how to make this super cute Macrame project.

The super cute Berry knots are made with Trendy Tee T-shirt Yarn, which you can buy here.

Aren’t these projects beautiful!? Which one will you make first? We can’t wait to see your creations in our Macrame for Beginners Facebook Group!

Make sure to follow Simply Inspired on YouTube and Instagram so you’ll never miss out on any new fun Macrame tutorials!

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Discover our Talented Macrame Teachers

We work with many talented Macrame teachers, which you can all find on our Featured Macrame Teachers page. Check out these posts to discover their amazing tutorials!

• Learn How to Make Moon Dream Catchers with Vanir Creations
• Top 10 Most Gorgeous Macrame Tutorials by Soulful Notions
• 8 Easy DIY Beginner Projects by Summer Macrame
• Home Decor Projects by Macrame teacher Habit Made
• Learn Macrame with Talented Teacher Bochiknot